You got the contract role - can you start in 4 months?

[hungry_hog]

As others said keep looking

if you end up with 2 offers you may be able to bump the rate. “I love this role but someone else has offered x”, as long as you are preferred for them to call your bluff.

[Ketto]

As others have said. If you want the role sign the contract, but keep looking as if you haven’t got a role and feel free to bin the comtract you have signed off in the event another turns up.

Never had more than a 1-2 week delay personally, but weird times now so their reasons could be genuine.

[SussexSeagull]

I should have started my current one in the middle of December and ended up starting at the end of January. although there was Christmas in the middle.

Sign the contract and keep looking. They could actually fit in a short contract in that period and everyone would be happy.

[avonleigh]

I got offered a role which was pulled cos of Covid. Told they would pick it up again but never happened. Would sign the contract and keep looking. If they find something else then bin this one.

[sreed]

A friend was offered an inside IR35 contract this week for a dream role. Then at the very last moment the company asked if he could start in July - whilst they were doing the status determination with him!

Anyone ever experienced this magnitude of last minute delay?

I’d push for the earliest start possible, and if that date is more than 2 weeks away, I’d just say Ok sign me up and keep looking. They want to have their cake and eat it, no harm in your friend doing the same.

The few times where prospective clients have pushed back start dates, it’s ended up not going ahead for one reason or the other - either I moved on to another role or they went awol.

As a contractor, there’s a cost to waiting around for a role to start and zero assurance that it ever will!

[edison]

Tell your "friend" to keep looking.
I've had interviews for stuff and been told I've got it, but that the date was being pushed back. Never trust a contract until you've got paid for your first period of work.

"Friend" LOL - I really wish it was me, I haven't had an interview for a contract role for months!

Agree, you should always keep looking. My mate cancelled other interviews as well, schoolboy error which I made myself as a newbie contractor.

[edison]

I've had a gig pulled signing contract and a weeks wait which then popped back up nearly six months later. Reason was project delays so they paused the recruitment. Was already in gig when they called me to kick it all off again. Sounds very similar to this but they at least did the decent thing and didn't embarrass themselves asking if I could start in six months.

When you say company. The client or the agent?

Sounded like the client.

[vwdan]

Tell your "friend" to keep looking.
I've had interviews for stuff and been told I've got it, but that the date was being pushed back. Never trust a contract until you've got paid for your first period of work.

Yep, had one a few years ago. Interviewed, got the role, pushed back a week. Pushed back a week. Pushed back a week. I found another role then eventually the agent called to say the budget had been pulled

[plutocrat]

A friend was offered an inside IR35 contract this week for a dream role. Then at the very last moment the company asked if he could start in July - whilst they were doing the status determination with him!

Anyone ever experienced this magnitude of last minute delay?

I've had delay of a few weeks but literally wasn't anything else on them market so I ended up working here in the end. Moral is keep applying and interviewing until you are actually working there. I really wouldn't hold out to July but wouldn't burn my bridges there either.

[WTFH]

Tell your "friend" to keep looking.
I've had interviews for stuff and been told I've got it, but that the date was being pushed back. Never trust a contract until you've got paid for your first period of work.

[northernladuk]

I've had a gig pulled signing contract and a weeks wait which then popped back up nearly six months later. Reason was project delays so they paused the recruitment. Was already in gig when they called me to kick it all off again. Sounds very similar to this but they at least did the decent thing and didn't embarrass themselves asking if I could start in six months.

When you say company. The client or the agent?

[edison]

A friend was offered an inside IR35 contract this week for a dream role. Then at the very last moment the company asked if he could start in July - whilst they were doing the status determination with him!

Anyone ever experienced this magnitude of last minute delay?